







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I hope your friends don't mind. | |
| Do you want me to call them? | |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | |
| My favourite movie is Pulp Fiction. | |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | |
| That's a very interesting combination. | |
| Certainly honey, do you want a glass or a bottle? | |
| Oh look at this big boy, he gets bigger everytime I see him! | |
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | |
| Welcome to the Diamond Duck, do you have a reservation, sir? | |
| Yeah, and the market is good, is Camden Lock in zone-2 or 3? | |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | |
| Erm... While your hands are already dirty... | |
| Do you want me to call Diego, then? | |
| I think I deserve a kiss... | |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | |
| Do you expect me to make the room bigger by pushing the walls out? | |
| Did you check carefully, don't we have any at all? | |
| I can cook, of course, but only when I feel like it. | |